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REVOLVER.

Patented Nov.

, PHQTCLUTHO WASHINGTON. u c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

CARL J. EHBETS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE COLTS PATENT FIRE ARMS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

REVOLVER.

SPECIFICATIQN formingpart of Letters Patent No. 392.503, dated November 6,1888.

Application filed August 27, 1838. Serial No. 283.852. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, CARL J. EHBETs, oi.

.Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Revolvers; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the same, and which said IO drawings constitutepart of this specification,

and represent, in-

Figure 1, a side view of the revolver complete; Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional side view showing the parts in the normal position; Fig.

3, the same as: Fig. 2, showing the parts as after the discharge of the hammer and before the release of the trigger; Fig. 4,223. forward end view; Fig. 5, a transverse section through the frame, showing a rear end of the cylinder and the spindle with the crane; Fig. 6, ahorizontal section showing a top view of the locking-bolt of the cylinder, its slide, and lockingdog; Fig. 7, a sectional side view showing the locking dog and bolt for the cylinder; Fig. 8,

a transverse section in rear of the cylinder, showing front view of the cylinder-locking bolt and dog; Fig. 9, a horizontal section of the frame,showing top view of the trigger and crane-spindle; Fig. 10, a modification in the engagement between the trigger and cranespindle.

This invention relates to an improvement in thatclass of revolvers in which the cylinder is hung in a part of the frame, which part of the 5 frame is arranged upon an axis below the cylinder and parallel with the axis of the cylin= der, so that the cylinder may be turned laterally outward upon the said pivot of the frame for loading or for ejection of shells.

40 Parts of the invention, however, are applicable to other classes of fire arms; and the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

4 5 A represents the frame, having a recess formed therein to receive the cylinder 13, the frame at the rear carrying thelock mechanism and the barrel attached to the forward end in the usual manner. The forward part of the frame is divided, a portion, 0, forming whatl call the crane. This portion 0 is constructed with a spindle, D, arranged in a corresponding scat below the cylinder, parallel with the axis of the cylinder, and so as to form a pivot upon which the said crane may swing laterally outward and inward. This crane carries the cylinder B on a spindle formed as a part of the crane in the usual manner, so that the cylinder may swing with the crane from its opening in the frame, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 4, for charging the cylinder or for ejecting the shells therefroni,the ejector being of common construction.

It is desirable that possible contact of the hammer with the cartridge in the cylinder 6 shall be prevented except when the cylinder is in its proper position, and to prevent the outward movement of the cylinder except when the hammer shall have been so far retracted as to take its nose out of the path of 7 the cylinder. To accomplish this object, the rear end of the spindle D is constructed with a vertical groove on notch, 01,- which,when the cylinder is in the closed p0sition,stands vertically and in the plane of a finger,b,on the hub of .the trigger E, (see Fig. 9,) which is hung in the frame upon a pivot,d, in the usual manner. i

p When the parts are in the normal position,

as seen in Fig. 2, the trigger is forward and the finger 1) stands in the plane of the. groove a of the crane-spindle, but so far to the rear of it as to be out of engagementtherewith; therefore with the parts in this position the cylinder-crane'is free to be turned upon the axis of the crane. If, however, with the parts in this position the trigger be pulled, as indicated in Fig. 3, the finger 1) passes into the groove a of the cranespindle and interlocks therewith, so as to prevent the crane from 0 turning. Consequently the cylinder cannot be turned from its place in the frame except when the trigger is in the normal position.

If the cylinder be thrown outward, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 4, the result will be 5 to turn the notch a to a plane out of the plane of the finger b on the trigger, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 5. Consequently while the cylinder is in this outwardly-turned position the rear end of the spindle serves as a stop for r ward of the hammer-pivot.

the trigger and the trigger cannot be pulled. i in the proper position, it follows that theha-m Any movement of the hammer is therefore avoided. i

If the cylinder be not properly returned to its place, the groove a of the crane-spindle will not coincide with the path of the finger 1). Con sequently the trigger cannot be pulled to discharge the hammer until the cylinder is in its proper position for firing.

Toproduce a rebound of the hammer and cnrploy the same spring as the trigger-spri ng, a two-armed lever, F (i, is hungupon a pivot, c, in the frame below the hammer, in rear of the trigger, and the one arm, F, extending forward, is engaged with a stud, g, upon the triggerby means of a slot, h, in the lever, so that both -the trigger and lever must move together, their axes being parallel. The arm G of the lever extends rearward and rests upon a rebound-spring, 11, arranged in the frame beneath the mainspring l. The hammer J is hung upon its pivot K- in the frame in the usual manner above the said arm G. Thc'upper surface of this arm G forms a cam, i, adapted to bear upon the arm below and for- The tendency of the rebouml-spring H is to force the arlnG of the lever upward, and-this upward movement of the arm G produces a corresponding downward movement of the other arm, and that downward movement of the said other arm is communicated to the trigger, tending to force the trigger toits forward or normal position, as seen in Fig. 2. The spring, however, yicldsunder a pull of the trigger, such pull of the trigger turning the lever F (i, say, as to the position seen in Fig. 3, and which is the position the parts occupy immediately after the discharge of the hannncr and before the trigger 'is free. The said discharge of the hammer permits it to fly forward under the action of its spring and impart iis blow to the cartridge in the cylinder. Now, when the trigger is free the reboundspring ll turns the armlt upward and the trigger forward. The upward movement of the arm (2 opcrah'es as a cam upon the hammer and turns the hammer upon its pivot backward, as seen in Fig. 2, to such an extent as to take the nose of the hammer out,of the path of the cylinder or the head of the cartridge therein, this rebound of the hammer being desirable in order to clear the nose of the hammer from the cylinder or eartridge. \Vhen the trigger is pulled, its nose 2 engages a latch, m, hinged to the hammer above the pivot, and so that a continued pull of the trigger will throw the hammer to the full-cocked position, where the nose will escape from the latch m and allow the hammer to fly forward, as seen in Fig. I the pull of the trigger first imparting the rotation to the cylinder by means ofthe hand n, hunguponlhe trigger in the usual manner. (Not fully illustratcd because well known.) Under this arrangement the rclmu.|.'.l-spring serves also as the trigger-spring, and as the pull of the trig gel: is prevented except when the cylinder is tral longitudinal bolt, T1.

mer cannot be discharged except when the cylinder is in such proper position.

The. bearing between the cam-shaped portion of the rebound-lever (l F is in such relation to the hammer, when the hammer stands in the rebound position, as seen in Fig. 2-that is, in a direct line between the axis of'thepivot of the hammer and leverand the point of the latch m extends down so as to nearly touch the top of the nose I of thetrigger, thatif the hammer therefore should be forced forward from its rebound position, as by a blow :from a fall or otherwise, thelatch or will strike the nose [of the trigger, the tendency of which will be toturn the trigger forward; but, as the arm G of the rebound-lever is by such accidental movement of the hammer depressed, the otherarm F of" the said lever at the same time, through the stud 9 upon the trigger, tends to turn the trigger backward against the latch m, and thus the hammer is positively locked, so that it is impossible to bring its nose into contact with the primer of a cartridge.

To givc a greater support to the reboundlever when the parts are in the normal position,an extensiomo, may be made from the hub of thc'rebound-lever down below, and so as to bear upon, the corresponding surface of the trigger, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 2, so as to take any undue strain which would otherwise come upon the stud g. In this case the latch m presses down on the trigger, while the trigger presses on the extension 0, thus preventing the hammer from moving forward; but ordinarily this-additional support will be unnecessary.

In the frame in rear of the cylinder is a cen- (See Figsrd, 7, and S.) This bolt is in line with the axis of the cylinder, and when thecylinder is in the closed position the bolt enters a corresponding concentric recess, fill, in that end of the ratchet or IIO cylinder, and, as seen in 'higs. 2 and 3, when so engaged the cylinder is held in its proper position for liring, and from which it cannot be removed until the belt I, iswithdrawn. This bolt II is attached to or made a part of a slide, 'N, on the outside ofthe frame, (see Figs. 1 and 6,) the said slide being provided with a thumb-picma, l, by which it maybe drawn backward, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. l. The forward portion, ill, of this slide forms part of the shield in rear of the cylinder. \Viihin the framea spring, S, is provided, the tendency of which is to force the bolt into its forward or engaging position, as seen in Fig. 7. The connection '1 between the boltand the slide forms a bowel-laced dog, U, at one side of the belt I), and this dogU stands in the path of the teeth V of the ratchet on the end of the cylinder, and so as to interlock therewith, the

nose ofthe dog being opposed'to the back ward rolal ionofthe cylinder. r'lhebevel of the nose permiistln': ratchet to escape when turned in the advance direction." This dog therefore.

serves as a positive step to prevent a backward 1;

rotation of the cylinder and coacts with the advancing hand of the trigger to rigidly hold the cylinder at the instant of firing-that is to say, upon the pull of the trigger the hand turns the cylinder in the usual manner until it reaches its position for firing, and there holds until the hammer has been discharged. In such rotation of the cylinder the dog U has cscaped from one tooth and engaged the next, so that while the trigger-is held in the pulled position the cylinder is positively engaged, as

before described.

I have represented the rear end of the cranespindle as constructed with a groove and the trigger constructed with a corresponding finger on the forward side of its hub; but it will be understood that this order may be reversed and the spindle constructed with the projection and the trigger with the groove, as seen in Fig. or any suitable interlocking reccsses and projections in the adjacent faces of the spindle and trigger may be employed. I therefore do not wish tobe understood as limiting the invention to the formation of the groove and tongue on the particular parts as first described, it only being essential to the invention that the trigger'ean only interlock with the spindle when the cylinder isin proper annular groove, .9, in the spindle. This bolt is operated by means of a screw, 1, introduced into the frame at the side of the boltr, the head of the screw constructed with an annular groove, it, which engages the bolt '1', and so that by turning the screw in either direction the bolt will be moved accordingly because of the engagement of the bolt with the groove of the screw, and as indicated in broken lines Fig. 9.

I claim- 1. In a revolver, a crane carrying the cylinder, the said crane hung by a spindle in a longitudinal bearing beneath and parallel with the axis of the cylinder, and so that the cylinder may be turned laterally from or into its place in the frame, combined with the trigger hung in rear of the spindle of the crane, the rear end of the spindle and the corresponding surface of the trigger constructed, the'one with a projection and the other with a corresponding recess, and whereby said trigger and spindle are adapted to en-' gage each other under a pnl'l of the trigger only when the cylinder is in the proper position for firing, substantially as described.

- 2. In a revolver, a crane carrying the cylinder, the said crane hung in the frame by a spindle in a longitudinal bearing beneath and parallel with the axis of the cylinder, and so corresponding to said groove andin the plane of said groove when the cylinder is in position for firing, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of a trigger hung upon the frame, a hammer hung upon a pivot in the frame in rear of the trigger, a lever hung upon apivot between the trigger and hammer, one arm of said lever extending forward and into engagement with the trigger, the other arrnol the said lever extending rearward beneath the hammer, and so as to form a cam beneath the hammer forward of its pivot, with a spring the tendency of which is to turn the rear arm of the said lever toward the hammer, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, in a revolver, of a crane hung upon a spindle beneath the cylinder and parallel with the axis of the cylinder, the cylinder hung to said crane and so as to swing laterally toward and from its place in the frame, the trigger hung in the frame in rear of said spindle, the rear end of the said spindle and the forward surface of the hub of the trigger constructed with corresponding interlocking devices which are adapted to interlocl: when the cylinder is in its proper position for firing the hammer hung in the frame in rear of the pivot, a lever, F G, hung in the frame between the said trigger and hammer, one arm of the said lever extending forward into engagement with the trigger, the other arm extending rearward beneath the hammer and constructed with a cam-shaped surface adapted, to bear upon the hammer forward of its pivot, anda spring, H, adapted to turn the said arm G' toward the hammer, substantially asdeseribed.

' 5. In a revolver in which the cylinder is arranged to swing laterally outward and inward from and to its place in the frame, a central bolt, L, in the frame longitudinally movable and adapted to engage the cylinder when in its place in the frame, the slide N outside the frame and connected with said bolt, the connection between said slide and bolt constructed with a dog, U, adapted to engage the cylinder, so as to prevent its backwardrotation, but yet permit the cylinder to escape in the forward rotation, substantially as and for the purpose described.

CARL J. EHBETS. Witnesses:

E. F. KNoUs, A. L. ULRICH. 

